Closure
by annamorphos
Summary: A one-shot from "Vengeance." What happened after Emily destroyed her mother? This is for those who wanted a semi-HEA. If you don't care for one, then don't read it.


**Author's Note: one-shot for Vengeance. **

The sky was blackened by the heavy billowing smoke, the air tainted with the ungodly stench of burning venom. I sat cross-legged on the long dead grass, gazing up at the virulent spectacle, amazed at how much beauty I found in the blazing spire. The curling orange waves undulated in rhythm with the wind, waving like a sail. Regardless, I was disappointed at the lack of joy I felt for my mother's demise. This was what I had been preparing for these last five years. I should have felt something—but I didn't.

Had my parents been less caught up in their own suffering, they would have realized that my gift was more than what it appeared to be. Not only could I show my thoughts to others, I could take the thoughts and abilities of others. Lord Aro had called me a leech—someone who could take from others at will—but I wasn't entirely comfortable with that name. I was, however, at home with my ability and how I could use it.

This was how I had discovered what had happened to Jacob—my best friend. My mother's thoughts were easy to interpret, despite my youthful state. I made the decision at a very young age that I would avenge him in any way I could. I didn't realize, at the time, that in doing so, I would kill my parents.

The fire was showing no signs of dwindling, but I didn't care. I had nowhere to be.

While the smoke curled into different patterns, I let myself think back to everything that had happened in the last five years. Rosalie and Emmett were under the impression that I was away at college. I'd insisted that I get to attend school on my own, seeing how they had been with me through high schools and Universities for the previous years. I had finally told them that I wanted some independence—which was partly true. If they only knew what I had truly been up to, they'd never let me leave again. Very slowly, the memories of two years ago resurfaced.

_I was led into the deep chamber, the one I had been advised to never visit. Was I out of my mind? It was very possible, but I also knew I wouldn't be able to attain my goal without their help. So, I squelched the rising bile and pushed through, the smell of fresh blood that coated every imaginable surface was making my mouth water._

"_My Lord Aro," the thin, petite girl announced and bowed respectfully. "Miss Emily Hale has requested and audience with Your Excellency."_

_Aro was nothing like I imagined him to be—he was much worse. His papery skin and liquid eyes were the stuff of nightmares, and I immediately felt the urge to run. However, I realized that running would not help my purpose, and they'd catch me before I got too far, so I stood my ground._

"_Hale?" Aro's thin eyebrows arched in interest and he rose from his ornate throne. "Now that is a name that I am quite familiar with."_

"_My mother is Rosalie Hale," I stated, but faltered when I realized what I had said. "My adopted Mother, I mean." _

"_What a curious child," he remarked and cocked his head in confusion. I was almost positive he had figured out that I was not a vampire and not quite human. "Your scent is very…difficult to place, my dear."_

"_What my brother is tactfully trying to say is what are you?" By his white hair and unchanging scowl, I pinpointed the vampire on Aro's left as Caius. Rosalie had told me that he was unrelenting and harsh, the most critical of the three lawmakers. He would be the most difficult to win over._

"_Rosalie and Emmett raised me." My voice was clear and echoed through their massive hall. "My true parents are Bella and Edward Cullen."_

"_Parents?" Caius sniffed and shook his head. "I'll never understand the Cullens' strange ways. The correct term is 'sire,' girl."_

"_I apologize, but you are incorrect." I took another step forward. "I was not changed—I was born."_

I had sat with Aro for the next hour, explaining everything that had happened and listening to his suggestions of what I could do with my gift. I had been grateful that he hadn't tried to touch my skin, especially when I informed him that he would unknowingly transfer his abilities to me for a short while. The temporary loss of his power was too much for Aro to bear, so he kept his distance.

The cell phone in my pocket, the one I'd forgotten to leave in the hotel room, began to buzz annoyingly. I closed my eyes and groaned, frustrated, knowing exactly who would be calling me. After a few deliberations, I decided it would be best to leave the conversation with Rose for later. I wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone.

During my silent revelry, the hours had slipped by unnoticed and my mother's pyre had wilted down to smoldering ashes. I knew I had to leave—this mission had a faithful following, and it wouldn't be long before the humans found out that it had burned to the ground. So, I rose off the ground and headed back across the empty land. As I ran, appreciating the wind in my hair, I felt the last of Alec's gift slip from my body and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Before leaving Volterra, I'd asked Alec if I could "borrow" his gift for a short while. He was very skeptical, especially since, in lending me his power, he'd be out of commission for a few days, but I eventually wore him out. I didn't need much from him, just enough to prevent my father from hearing my heartbeat. Alec's talent—the ability to cut off someone's senses—was very strange, and I didn't like having foreign powers running under my skin.

As the signs of civilization started to appear, I pulled my hood up over my head and put on a pair of sunglasses. The sun was starting to set, and I knew it wouldn't be wise for me to be out after dark. Word of my mother's demise would have spread and the land would soon be crawling with newborns.

I was too concentrated on where I was walking, and trying to figure out where I would get a car, I didn't hear the footsteps approaching from behind.

"Excuse me?" The soft voice startled me, and when I turned, there was a tall stranger standing behind me. By the color of his irises, I decided he was either a newborn vampire, or had fed very recently.

I was immediately on alert. While I smelled differently than humans, there was nothing about my scent that identified me as a vampire, which meant I could be in danger. I took a few steps back, eying him suspiciously. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," he sighed when our eyes met, and his shoulders fell. "I thought you were someone else."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. "Who?"

"Just someone I cared for," he responded and shook his head. "Sorry I bothered you."

He stalked past me and continued up the road, which happened to be the same way I was heading. There was no reason for me to run after him, no excuse to find out more about him, but against all rationale, I caught up with him anyway. If anything, his presence had the potential to assuage any ambush attacks. "Where are you headed?"

"North." He grumbled something about being banished from his home.

"Where did you come from?" Was he from Mexico, or could he have been in…mother's lands? I suppose it wouldn't have been unthinkable—she had apparently owned the largest plot in Texas. The thought put me on edge, seeing as I was her killer. I wondered, if he had been living in my mother's land, how deep did his loyalty run? I decided to play it cool and try to find out everything about him.

"It doesn't matter," he growled, digging his hands into his pockets, and shook his head. "I can't go back."

I could definitely relate to what he was saying, even though our situations were undoubtedly different. I don't think I'd be able to keep my parents' deaths from Rosalie and Emmett for too long, and I wasn't willing to think about how _that_ conversation would go. I loved my adopted parents, but sometimes they had a tendency to overreact. _And__ this __is __just __the __thing __they__'__d __fly __off__ the __handle __over._However, killing someone was definitely bigger than staying out past curfew.

"Why are you following me?" The stranger snarled and spun on me, his eyes blazing in the fading light. I hadn't even realized that I had been following him and threw my hands up in defense. Without much effort, I quickly thought up a good lie.

"I was told that I shouldn't be alone after dark," I said, filling my words with a bit of meekness. Even though I could hold my own in a fight—I'd bested Demetri and Felix on more than one occasion—I didn't want to attract undue attention. The stranger, however, didn't look like he believed my fib. "Come on, I won't be a bother."

"You already are," he hissed and stalked further up the road, but, after a few minutes, he stopped. "Come on!"

I trailed six yards behind him for a few miles, trying to keep myself aware of my surroundings, but my loneliness eventually drove me to move closer to him. He hardly noticed as I got closer and merely glanced at me when I fell in line beside him.

His long sleeve shirt was covered with dust and riddled with holes, which resembled teeth marks. His jeans were in a similar state of disrepair and stank of venom. Suddenly, my life didn't seem so bad.

"What's your name?" I was surprised by his question, seeing as he had made no attempt to speak to me after allowing me to follow him, and didn't answer him at first. Unfortunately, he took that as a bad sign. "You don't have to tell me, I was just trying to make conversation."

"No, it's okay." I broke from my trance and started talking way too fast. After dialing down a bit, I took a deep breath and said, "Emily…my name's Emily."

"And how, Emily, did you end up in this desolate land?" His question was made to seem offhanded, but I could easily pinpoint it for what it was. He was attempting to nonchalantly interrogate me.

I decided to play his game; what did I have to lose? "I came here looking for someone."

"Anyone I know?" He quirked an eyebrow down at me and I felt my heartbeat quicken. It was strange, the little things he did were making me flustered, confused. It was very unnerving.

"I doubt it," I answered quickly, not wanting to risk allowing him to figure out that Isabella was my mother and that, only a few short hours ago, I had destroyed her. Then again, maybe he didn't know her whatsoever.

"So assuming," he answered and I thought I heard a throaty chuckle, but it was too fleeting to identify fully. "Where did you come from?"

I smiled. "Europe."

He looked impressed for a second, but his face hardened the moment he saw that I had noticed the change. "So, what are you doing here?"

"As I said," I answered, smugly. "I came here looking for someone."

In the distance, I could see San Antonio on the horizon and silently groaned. It wouldn't be long before I would be thrust back into my real life. Hunting down my parents had been exhilarating; everything else seemed mundane in comparison. I shook my head, not wanting to think about it, and forced my attention back to my companion.

"So, what's your name?"

He sighed. "Jack."

"Okay," I said, happy that I could identify him by something appropriate, "and where did you come from?"

"I don't…really remember." His brow creased and he stopped in his tracks. When I looked back at him, I recognized the trepidation, the hesitation in his eyes, as he looked at me. It was the same look I'd given when I'd been asked by my classmates why they couldn't come over or spend the night, why my _siblings_were always with me, and why they were always absent on sunny days.

It was then that I realized that Jack probably didn't know I was a hybrid. _Scratch __that, __I__'__m__ absolutely __certain __he __doesn__'__t __know, __period._

"Jack, it's okay, you can tell me." Part of me warned against giving away my heritage, but I couldn't help myself. The more time I spent with him, the more I seemed to trust him. "I'm…like you."

He snorted. "I doubt that."

"Let's play a game," I said slyly, earning me a quizzical look from my companion. "You tell me something about you, I'll tell you something about me. It'll help pass the time."

He seemed to debate with himself, but eventually agreed. "You start."

I swallowed and nodded. "I'm not what you think I am."

"Vagueness, how quaint," he seethed as we resumed our walking towards the city. "I'll match you—I'm not what you think I am, either."

"I'm twenty years old, even though I don't look it." I was hoping that my words would have some kind of meaning to him, but he still seemed clueless.

"So, you age well," he answered with a shrug. "I don't look my age, either."

I bit my bottom lip and quelled the frustrated cry that I longed to release. Jack was purposely giving me vague answers; he was trying to hide the fact that he was a vampire. "I know what you are!"

It wasn't surprising that he was doing this—the Volturi's law of exclusivity was strictly obeyed in the South—but I had assumed he had picked up that I was something different. Jack froze mid-step and ceased all movement, he even stopped breathing. Had I been completely human, this might shock me, but I'd seen this on more than one occasion. I'd taken him off guard and he had gone into defensive mode.

Seeing how my admission had affected him, I immediately tried to do damage control. I grasped his forearm, barely masked by his tattered shirt, with intentions of shaking him. However, the moment my skin touched his, there was an unmistakable connection, an electrical current, that shot up my arm and spread throughout my entire body. My hand retracted quickly and a slight gasp exited my lips. When I looked up, expecting to see him still locked in his frozen state, I met Jack's curious eyes.

"Uh…um…" What could I say that was anywhere close to a rational explanation? "Sorry?"

He snapped out of it, his face hardening again. "Don't worry about it."

I spent the next fifteen minutes silently cursing myself and my resurfaced feminine persona. While I was in Volterra, I had been completely focused on my task; I'd become a cold blooded killer. Now, after only an hour, or so, with a complete stranger, I was dangerously close to turning into a giggling teenager.

_Suck it up Emily, you're pathetic!_

"How do you know?"

I hadn't realized that he had allowed me to catch up with him, and I jumped in response to the suddenness of his question. He offered me an apologetic frown but remained inquisitive. I knew exactly what he was asking and thought how best to answer him. However, instead of listening to the bubbling teenager inside me, I opted to listen to my rational side.

"I just know," I answered a bit harshly. "So, you can cut the act."

"Well, since we're on the subject of_ '__what__ I__ am__'_," he growled and cocked his head to the side. "Maybe you can explain why you smell…the way you smell."

"Like I said," I answered, matching his dark tone. "I'm not what I seem."

"The vagueness is cute and all, really," he remarked and narrowed his eyes, "but I'd rather get the truth, if you don't mind."

I silently battled with my resolve; should I tell him the truth, or continue to keep the truth under lock and key? The seconds turned into minutes, but still, I said nothing. What was I supposed to tell him, anyway? I was a human-vampire hybrid and had just killed my mother and father?

_Yeah, that's great road trip conversation, Emmy._

We had returned to our steady pace towards the city, not looking at one another and not speaking, and were only a few miles away from the outer highway. The vibrant lights called to me, briefly reminding me of the life I was returning to; the plush, extravagant world with Rosalie and Emmett. My eyes turned unconsciously to Jack, who was staring steadfastly ahead.

_What was he going to do? Where was he going? Does he have things to do…or is he all alone?_

"So, why are you going to San Antonio?" I wasn't exactly sure where I was headed with this—it wasn't like he'd be willing to go with me.

"I don't know." His brow furrowed. "I just need to get out of this god forsaken land."

My thoughts immediately went to my estranged grandfather who lived in upstate Maine. Even though Rosalie badmouthed him quite often, I'd been given the impression that Carlisle was always willing to help strangers. While I didn't really wish to see him, I'd be willing to accompany Jack to meet him. The only question that remained was if Jack would actually be willing to travel with me.

"I'd hoped that I would have traveled with someone else," he whispered and his eyes lowered, "but she banished me from her life…and her land."

"So, where are you going now?" The more I heard his story, the more I wanted to send him to Carlisle. Even if he couldn't change Jack's feeding habits, he could certainly point him in the direction of a safe house. "Do you have any friends, family, or a place to go?"

He shook his head, the response I was expecting.

"What if I told you that I knew someone that could help you?" I chanced a look in his direction and was relieved that he didn't look mad—he looked genuinely curious.

"And who is this someone?"

"One of my family members," I said offhandedly, trying to hide my excitement over his curiosity. "He lives in upstate Maine."

He nodded. "What about you?"

I turned to him. "What about me?"

"Are you going back to Europe?" The hope in his eyes was overflowing and it confused me.

"I don't know." The strange emotions I was feeling in my stomach were disturbing me. "I haven't decided."

"I'll go visit your…_family __member_," he remarked and smiled,"if you go with me."

I stopped moving and gawked at him. I'd never met Carlisle or Esme before and wasn't sure how I felt about seeing them. Would they know who I was? Would they want anything to do with me? More importantly, how would Rosalie and Emmett feel about it? I tried to weigh my options, but couldn't come up with an accurate answer.

"Why do you want me to go?" I narrowed my eyes. "I can give you the address and you can find your way."

"I know," he answered, shrugging. "I like your company."

It wasn't the answer I'd been expecting; although, I wasn't sure what I had been expecting. There was no sarcasm in his words, just sincerity, and it scared me. Still, a part of me was drawn to him, and if going with him meant that he'd make it, I'd do it.

I'd never met Carlisle or Esme, only heard about them in passing, and wondered if they'd even want me there. After all, my birth had ultimately caused a vast amount of bloodshed. What would happen when I turned up on their doorstep? If I wanted to help Jack, I'd have to bite the bullet and take a chance.

When we reached San Antonio, Jack wasted no time in stealing a car, instead of allowing me to buy one. Then again, I guess it was nice to keep below the radar—I wasn't sure if the Volturi would be checking up on me or not. However, I was positive that if they wanted to find me then they could. So, I simply smiled and rolled my eyes when Jack opened the door for me.

It took almost two days to reach the town they were staying in. I had to pull in a favor from Demetri, in Volterra, to find out their exact address. Apparently, my grandfather was an old friend of Lord Aro. They had moved to St. Francis, Maine, a town that was the very definition of a small town, with a population size of less than six hundred.

As we drove through the center of town, the people in the streets practically gawked as we passed them. Apparently, it was a rarity for someone to drive through. My stomach grew nervous as we closed in on the address and I began to rethink my decision. I'd been growing more and more anxious with each passing state, but Jack had an uncanny way of calming me down. It was his smile; it reminded me of Jacob.

The car maneuvered through a scenic highway and we found a turn off, nearly obscured by the high grass. Coming to a complete stop, Jack and I climbed out and looked at the path, big enough for a car, with curiosity and uncertainty. He glanced at me, silently asking if we should go, and I nodded.

This had stopped being about delivering Jack to Carlisle and Esme; this was about me finding some form of closure. I wasn't sure when it happened, or why, but I wanted to see them. I had questions and required answers. As Jack navigated through the brush, I tried to keep my hands from shaking only to fail miserably.

The house was large, yet modest, and nestled in the middle of the forest, illuminated by the sunlight peeking through the clouds. There was a separate garage, where tire tracks led, and a line of rose bushes disappearing in the back of the property. The anxiety from earlier had diminished the moment I stepped out of the car again. There was something about this place—it was soothing, healing, peaceful.

When I raised my hand to the door, I hesitated momentarily but allowed my hand to rap on the wood. I glanced nervously at Jack, who nodded reassuringly, but turned back when the door opened. I remembered Carlisle from when I was very young, but I hadn't thought of him in many years.

I was glad to see the soft, compassionate expression on his face I'd always seen as an infant. With a warm smile, he said, "May I help you?"

My voice failed me and I squeaked, "Are you Carlisle Cullen?"

"Yes, I am Doctor Cullen, how can I help you?" He nodded and his brow creased when he looked at Jack, probably noticing his red eyes.

I didn't know what to say, or how to explain what had happened. The seconds passed in complete silence and I began to panic; what if they wouldn't help Jack? What if he thought I'd led him on a wild goose chase? What if I couldn't convince him I was his granddaughter?

My internal conversation was cut off by a soft gasp from inside the house. Over Carlisle's shoulder, a young woman with caramel brown hair appeared, a shocked expression on her face. She moved past him and tentatively reached out to me. My gift immediately shot out and I saw the woman's thoughts.

_It's Emily…it's her…she's come home…if only Edward could be here…where's Bella…where are Rosalie and Emmett…Alice and Jasper…where is my family._

My heart broke as I felt the anguish that saturated her every word. Even though I couldn't bring myself to regret my decision, I did sympathize with her. I'd lost someone very important to me, as well. Before I could say anything, she gripped me tightly.

"I can't believe you're here," she sobbed into my shoulder. "You're just as beautiful as always."

"Esme?" Carlisle was confused.

"Carlisle," she said and turned. "It's Emily."

The complete shock that washed through his expression was jaw dropping, and before I could respond to either, he fell to his knees. The sight of my young grandfather, on his knees before me, was uncomfortably shocking.

"I've prayed for this moment," he whispered, crying dry tears, and looked up at me. "I see so much of them in you."

"This is Jack." I wasn't sure how to respond to Carlisle's sentiment, especially since I'd killed both my parents, so I did what I had originally planned on doing. "I wanted to bring him to you…to see if you could help him."

Carlisle rose off the ground and shook Jack's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack."

"You too," Jack responded, nervously. "Emily said you could help me…I…uh…don't have anywhere to go."

My grandfather nodded, smiling sympathetically. "Where did you come from?"

"Texas," Jack responded and hung his head, abashed. It wasn't a secret that the southern vampires of the United States were looked down upon ever since the newborn wars. I had learned about it from the archives in Volterra. "I was second in command to one of the ruling vampires."

"One of my sons came from that area," Carlisle said, smiling, and touched Jack's shoulders. "As long as you wish to be better…to move on from where you came from, there's a place for you here."

"Your eyes are different," Jack said, his brow furrowing.

"We don't feed on humans, son," Carlisle informed him. "My wife and I only feed on the blood of animals. If you wish to stay with us, you'll need to adapt to our lifestyle."

"It's not easy," Esme said. "But, it's rewarding."

Jack was quiet as they spoke, his eyes roaming around the outside of their home, and didn't speak right away when they had finished their explanation. Rosalie and Emmett had told me that switching from a human blood diet, to animal blood, was hard but not impossible. I glanced at him briefly, wondering if he'd accept their offer or call them crazy and disappear.

"I've been living the same life for many, many years," he responded, wearily. "I think a change might be nice."

Carlisle and Esme escorted him inside, but I lingered behind. I knew that Jack expected me to stay, but I wasn't entirely sure that I was okay with that. Not only were Rosalie and Emmett waiting for my phone call, I knew that eventually Jack would find out who I was. I wasn't entirely sure if he had been one of my mother's vampires, but I had to assume that was the case. How would he react to my killing her?

"Emily?"

I turned and found all three of them standing in the doorway, beckoning me with their eyes. Jack smiled softly and my breath caught in my throat. For the first time since I met him, I found myself attracted to him. Our trip up had been filled with laughs and his shared stories of life on the road. During that time, I'd grown to appreciate his presence.

Still, I couldn't stay…could I? What did I have to go back to? _A __repetitive __world __with __my __adoptive __parents,__ moving __from __place __to__ place, __always __attending __high__ school, __always __the __third __wheel._ A half life, that's what I had to look forward to.

But, what did I have here? _Uncertainty._

I felt someone grip my hand and I found it to be Jack, smiling. "Stay with me."

"I can't," I muttered, noting how those words crushed my soul. "Th-This isn't my home."

"It could be," he answered simply, hope burning in his eyes like when he'd convinced me to come here.

I had to put an end to this.

"I don't know what you expect from me," I growled, hardening my heart as much as I could. "You don't know me…don't know where I come from."

"It doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head. "I know it should, but it doesn't."

Esme and Carlisle were standing in the doorway, the same matching hope in their eyes. This life, what Rosalie and Emmett had escaped from, scared me. _But__…__Jack__…_

"I'm sorry," I whispered, realizing that I had taken my frustration out on him, and turned back to my grandparents. They beamed at me with hopeful expressions, and I realized, they wanted me to stay. If they were willing to take Jack in, just like that, with no questions asked, there had to be more to them than my adoptive parents had alluded. Could they really be more than the vindictive, lying creatures I'd been led to believe they were? Or were they hiding. There was no way to be sure without talking to them. So, I sucked up my nerves and smiled. "Can we come in?"

I'd figure out what kind of people Carlisle and Esme were, and then I'd make a decision on whether I'd go back or not.


End file.
